The Barron Canyon is the most beautiful area in Algonquin. Having discovered it last year, my family returned this year. This area is very popular with families. Some people do the Barron Canyon as a day trip, while others camp on one of the nearby lakes and do day trips. That is what we did two years in a row. Last year we camped the first night at the Achray campground which has a beautiful beach.
Every once in a while someone asks what are some board and card games to bring camping, and most people will answer Uno, Yahtzee, Sorry! or a deck of cards to play Go Fish and Old Maid with. However, there are much better games out there! Here are my family’s favorite 5 games to bring:
Love Letter and Coup include bluffing and hidden roles. You are given a role on a card, and you perform an action based on that card. Since no one else can see your card, you are welcome to lie about that card, however, if you get caught you are out of the game. Luckily both games take less than 5 minutes to play, so you’re not out of the game for long before another game begins. Both games play quickly and I find kids aged 8 and up are really good at these games given their general ability to lie so well. I’ve played Love Letter and Coup at work with adults for years and was pleasantly surprised to see kids play the game and understand the goal to stay alive as long as possible by sometimes lying, but also by following the instructions on the card to take your turn.
Both games are very compact and easy to take with you camping. Just make sure to sleeve them if you want them to last longer because you don’t want to them to get dirty or bent.
If you have 3-4 people who want to play, you can play either Love Letter or Coup. Neither game plays well with only 2 people. If you have 5 or 6 players, you can play Coup. For more players, you can pick up a copy of Coup Reformation (An Expansion) which adds factions to the game for even more players for the game of Coup.
Other similar games in this genre though not quite as popular are Citadels, or The Resistance: Avalon. Try one, try them all to see which ones fit your group the best!
After a week of backcountry on Killarney and OSA lakes that we had booked 5 months ago we decided if the weather was good enough we would paddle with our canoe to Philip Edward Island. A few years back we visited the island on a day trip and were amazed by the scenery. I knew we had to come back at some point.
Philip Edward Island is a large island to the south of Killarney that is a proposed Provincial Park, but also part of a large Land Transfer that would see it become Indigenous Land in lieu of Private Land on Manitoulin Island. However, for the moment, it’s just Crown Land, and the best way to access is by parking at the trailhead of the Chikanishing Trail and paddling across the Collins Inlet to the island.
When we finished our interior trip, the weather was amazing. We stayed one night at George Lake Campground, re-stocked our provisions in the town of Killarney at the General Store, and had some awesome Fish and Chips. The mosquitoes at George Lake Campground were atrocious, so we were very excited to check out after one night and pay for three nights parking at the Killarney Park Store as Killarney Out of Park South. First though, we had to participate in an artist watercolour clinic at George Lake Campground.
After the clinic and breakfast, we drove down the Chikanishing Trail and parked at the trailhead, unloaded our gear into the canoe, paddled along the river and crossed the Collins Inlet to Philip Edward Island. The day couldn’t have been more perfect for the crossing. The wind was blowing softly from the south.
Manitoulin Island is a picturesque and quiet place to visit with your family. It’s dotted with little towns that are full of history and interesting geology. It’s the largest fresh water island in the world, and has over 100 lakes. It has limestone cliffs like the Bruce Trail and plenty of hiking trails. It isn’t as busy in the summer as other parts of Ontario because it is harder to get to. You arrive at Manitoulin Island either by ferry via Tobermory or to Little Current by driving past Sudbury. It takes approximately 6 hrs to get to either way from the GTA. We recently spent 9 days camping on Manitoulin Island. We stayed at three private campgrounds, extending our trip by two days because of its beauty and laid back feeling.
There are no operating Provincial Parks in Manitoulin Island. The closest Provincial Park is Chutes Provincial Parks, which is an hour drive from Little Current. In my opinion it’s too far away from Manitoulin to stay there, and it’s also not enough time to visit Manitoulin Island for only a day. It’s far better to stay at one of the many privately owned campgrounds that are located on the island. However, get used to a lot less privacy when compared to camping at Provincial Parks.
Here is a guide to the best campground on Manitoulin Island, with some day trips you can do along the way, including some trips that aren’t usually found in the guidebooks.
Continue readingTemagami is a large area north east of Sudbury, Ontario. It has a mix of Provincial Parks, Forest Reserves, Conservation Reserves and General Use Crown Land. There are more than 2,000 lakes in the Temagami Region, and they are interconnected by portages, creating a 2,400 km network of routes. A lot of the portages are not well identified and the put ins are rarely ideal (typically rocky with very little room).
A good map and GPS device are essential because the portages are generally not marked nor are they well maintained.
The following are a few shorter routes that you can do as a family, and hopefully don’t involve rapids or big open lakes (or you need to portage around rapids). Always have everyone in the boat wear a lifejacket and if the water is rough, hug the shore or find shelter.
Lake Matagamasi to Donald Lake Loop
Park at the Boat Launch at the bottom of Lake Matagamasi (26). The put in itself is a natural gravel boat launch between a couple of private residential properties. There is no parking lot here so cars and trucks park in any available space at the side of the road. If access point 26 is full, you can go to 26b. Note that Lake Matagamasi has motor boat traffic.
For the canoe route, go north on Lake Matagamasi and take the right fork into McCarthy Bay and then portage either into Donald Lake and spend a few days there, or to Lower Matagamasi for a longer route. Paddle to Maskinonge and then back home via Kukamagi Lake.
All campsites along the route are on First Come First Serve and and there are no reservations or camping fees. Leave the sites in the same or better condition than you found it.
Lake Matagamasi to Wolf Lake
Starting at the put-in on Lake Matagamasi go north but take the left fork. Near the portage to Wolf Lake there is a popular attraction called the Paradise Lagoon that is worth a visit. Wolf Lake still has motor boat traffic but fishing is not allowed on Silvester, Wolf and Dewdney lakes. Pick a campsite on Silvester, Wolf or Dewdney Lakes and enjoy the area.
Wicksteed Lake, Kenny Forest, Marten River
Park at the Dam at the south end of Wicksteed lake, and find a campsite on the lake. Note that there will be boat traffic. The 1 Km Portage is not maintained so head back and paddle to Bruce Lake for another stop. All the campsites are free on General Use Crown Land and the non-operating Kenny Forest Provincial Park.
Note that you can do this as a day trip from Marten River Provincial Park or use the boat launch at Marian Lake.
Cassels Lake, Blueberry Lake and White Bear Forest Conservation Reserve
Just outside of the town of Temagami is Blueberry Lake. It’s a great destination on its own with several hiking trails to scenic viewpoints. Alternately you could make it into a loop by also visiting Sunrise Lake. In addition, the White Bear Forest on the south side of Cassels Lake has numerous hiking trails. There is a public boat launch on Cassels Lake with lots of parking space. This area can also be explored by staying at the Finlayson Point Provincial Park.
Lake Temagami South Arm
Just east of the south Arm of Lake Temagami is a wonderful loop that has almost no portages. Starting at the Temagami Access Road Boat Landing paddle south to Cross Bay. Spend the overnight in Cross Lake and Portage Bay. Note that the parking fills up in the summer. This area is part of the Proposed Lake Tamagami Provincial Park. It is first come first serve and free for now. Leave your campsite in a same or better condition than you found it.
Lake Temagami Northeast Arm
Park at the boat launch at Iceland Lake, and head south to Wasaksina Lake. Spend some time exploring the area and paddle back, or keep going and paddle around to the Northeast Arm of Lake Temagami to make a loop but be advised that there is a lot of boating traffic from Shiningwood Bay to the Northeast Arm of Lake Tamagami. Alternately you could park and launch from the Temagami Access Road Boat Landing and paddle to Iceland Lake and back in a loop.
Tamagami North Arm to Obabika Lake
If you have an all terrain vehicle, start at the Sandy Inlet Boat Launch. If you don’t have a high clearance car start at the Red Squirrel Lake boat launch and follow the 640m portage.
Paddle in either direction to Obabika Lake and explore the area. You can stay an additional night at the Lake Tamagami North Arm. If you stay on the Red campsites, you need to pay a campsite fee. All purple campsites are first come first serve and free on General Use Crown Land. Leave the campsite in the same or better condition as you found it.
Again, do not try to drive to Camp Wanapitei if you have a small/compact car to avoid damage to the underside of you car.
Lady Evelyn to Sugar Lake
Park at the boat launch near Mowat Landing, paddle south to Evelyn Lake, and from there head south to the somewhat hefty1.2km portage into the Sugar Lake Conservation Reserve. Stay there and explore the area, and then if you want to make a loop of it, take one of the three routes west to Lady Evelyn Lake, possibly avoiding the rapids at the south end of Sugar Lake.
Reference Pages
http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Sites/chiniguchi.htm
http://www.loonislandoutdoors.com/TripReports/WolfLake/WolfLake.php
https://www.myccr.com/canoeroutes/wasaksina-driftwood-loop
https://cmkl.ca/temagami-diamond-obabika/
https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=107&t=17190
The best Ontario Campgrounds for families are ones that have a great beach, some hiking or interpretive trails, a good number of outdoor activities like bicycling, canoeing or fishing, and a great kids program. It’s a nice place to relax, and explore the wilderness around Ontario. I have listed what I believe are the best campgrounds for families who want to get away from the city and enjoy the outdoors. You could go camping in a tent, an RV or a Yurt. It’s up to your family and your comfort requirements.
The 5 busiest Ontario Parks are Algonquin, Killbear, The Pinery, Sandbanks and Bon Echo. To book a campsite at any of these or the other parks, you should book 5 months in advance, especially on a long weekend. I’m going to explain why these campsites are so busy, and provide you with quieter alternate campgrounds that are nearby and offer something similar.
Pros
Awenda is an awesome provincial park for families looking to camp with children in Ontario. Awenda offers camping in six campgrounds, has 30 km of hiking trails with of them along boardwalks, and picnicking and day use areas. Sites are shaded beneath Sugar Maples and Red Oaks and are spaced further apart than many other provincial parks. Located on the Georgian Bay, the beaches are picturesque year-round. The more calmer waters of Kettle’s Lake offer canoeing with canoes rentals available at the park. During the summer months Park Naturalists provide a variety of events to help young and old better understand the park with its rich cultural and natural history.
Cons
The campsites at Awenda are located far from the beach so a car or bicycle is required to get around.
If you’re looking to party this is not the park for you during the summer months. The place is crawling with kids, lots of kids, and quiet time is early. The sites are shady, and can get cold early and late in the season.
Similar Campgrounds
If Awenda is full, you may want to check out the lesser known Craigleith Provincial Park located at the base of Blue Mountain.
Bringing a bicycling is a great way to get around campgrounds when you’re camping, especially on weekdays when there are fewer cars. I generally let my kids aged 8 and up bycilel around the campsite in circles and it’s a great way to meet other kids.
Some parks have great multi-use trails that allow bicycles while others have some amazing bicycling trails nearby. Click here for part 1 of the list.
MacGregor Point has several off road trails to help you get around the park that are great to bicycle. In addition the Old Shore Road trail offers a way to bike to Southhampton which makes for a great trip and a really nice way to get around town once you get there.
The 3.7 km Deer Run Bike Trail provides cyclists with a safe way to travel through the interior of the park. The 6 km easy Old Shore Road Traill follows the Lake Huron shoreline and offers excellent views of the shore and beach areas. The 3.5 km Tower Trail takes you around a wetland providing great opportunities for waterfowl and wildlife viewing. The 0.8 km Kempfs Trail connects the main park road and the Old Shore Road Trail. It is named after one of the former landowners in this part of the park. Cycling along trails is recommended over cycling on park roads which can get very busy.
Ontario Provincial Parks are great for bicycling. If you’re staying at the campground, it’s easy to get around to different areas using a bicycle. A few parks have great multi-use trails that allow bicycles while others have some amazing bicycling trails nearby. Some even have dedicated mountain biking trails.
I generally let my kids ever since they were around age 8 bicycle around the campsite in circles and it’s a great way to meet other kids. Then we go as a family and sometimes with other families we meet at the park on longer trips.
Here are some parks with great bicycling in Central Ontario:
Along Highway 60, Algonquin Park has three dedicated bicycling path trails, as well as lots of opportunities to cycle in each of the campgrounds.
There is the Old Railway Bike Trail a 16 km trail accessible from Mew Lake Campground, Kearney Lake Campground, Coon Lake Campground, Pog Lake Campground and Rock Lake Campground. It’s a great way to explore the park along highway 60.
The Minnesing Mountain Bike Trail is a steep, rugged mountain bike trail consisting of hilly, sometimes muddy, terrain filled with rock, roots and obstacles unsuitable for small children and unfit adults. there are 4 to 32 km loops.
Byers Lake Mountain Bike Trail is a short mountain bike trail of 6.5 km (13 km round trip) and moderate degree of difficulty can also be accessed east of the Kingscote Access Point.
When diving around Algonquin Park be careful because Google Maps instructions could lead you onto a Bike Trail or a Logging Road. Algonquin Park has active logging and logging roads have fast moving logging trucks driving on them. Do not bike on Algonquin Park logging roads either.
Continue readingThe first first book I bought about Algonquin Park was Kevin Callan’s A Paddler’s Guide to Algonquin Park. Kevin’s third edition recently arrived, and there are 10 new routes in it.
I also bought his Top 50 Canoe routes and soon after a new edition was released called the Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario a year later.
Other books including A Paddler’s Guide to Ontario, A Paddler’s Guide to Ontario’s Lost Canoe Routes, A Paddler’s Guide to the Rivers of Ontario and Quebec have one or more Algonquin Park routes.
Continue readingDuring the second part of our trip, we stayed on Lake Mindemoya visited Bridal Veil Falls and the town of Kagawong, went on the Cup and Saucer Trail, and then stayed near Little Current where we extended our trip by two more days because we didn’t want to leave Manitoulin Island so soon. Click here to read about the first part of our trip.
There are three campgrounds on Lake Mindemoya. The advantage of staying there is that Lake Mindemoya is warmer than Lake Huron. Mindemoya has a small Grocery store and it’s a close drive to the attractions like Bridal Veil Falls and Cup and Saucer Trail.
Continue readingTemagami is a large area north east of Sudbury, Ontario. It has a mix of Provincial Parks, Forest Reserves, Conservation Reserves and General Use Crown Land. There are more than 2,000 lakes in the Temagami Region, and they are interconnected by portages, creating a 2,400 km network of routes. A lot of the portages are not well identified and the put ins are rarely ideal (typically rocky with very little room).
There are two Provincial Parks in the area, Marten River and Finlayson Point Provincial Park that have over 300 campsites. Staying at these parks can be a great way to explore the area. It’s also a great place to stay overnight after your long drive from an urbane area before starting your trip into the backcountry. The campsites tend to be large and private in wooded lots. When exploring the region, take a GPS and Map, and tell someone where you are going.
Continue reading
Ontario Family Camping 